How do I set up my Fitbit device?

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Before you begin using your Fitbit device, you must connect it to your Fitbit account with a phone, tablet, or computer. Connecting your device allows it to transfer (or sync) data back and forth with Fitbit. Your data syncs to your Fitbit dashboard, which is where you can see your stats, analyze historical trends, set goals, log food and water, connect with friends, and more.

Note that you need an account with the store before you can download apps.

Open the Fitbit app and tap Join Fitbit.

Follow the on-screen instructions to create a Fitbit account and connect ("pair") your Fitbit device to your phone or tablet. Pairing makes sure your Fitbit device and phone or tablet can communicate with one another (sync their data).

Note that the personal information you provide during setup is used to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which helps determine your estimated calorie expenditure and your body mass index (BMI). For more information, see How does Fitbit estimate how many calories I've burned? This information is private unless you change your privacy settings and opt to share it with your Fitbit friends.

For Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa, you're prompted to connect your watch to your Wi-Fi network. Ionic and Versa use Wi-Fi to set up your watch, download playlists, download apps from the Fitbit App Gallery, and for faster firmware and Fitbit OS updates. For best results, connect your watch to your home or work Wi-Fi network. For more information, see How do I connect my Fitbit watch to Wi-Fi?

Fitbit Connect

If you don’t have a compatible phone or tablet, you can set up and sync your Fitbit device on your computer using Fitbit Connect. Fitbit Connect is a free software application that lets your Fitbit device sync its data with your fitbit.com dashboard. To learn more about the fitbit.com dashboard, see About the fitbit.com dashboard.

Tips:

If your computer isn’t Bluetooth-enabled, you must use a wireless sync dongle to set up and sync your Fitbit device. Most Fitbit devices don’t come with a dongle, but you can buy one from the Fitbit Store. We recommend using the Fitbit app if you can.

If you have Fitbit Surge and a Windows 10 phone or tablet, you must set up your Surge on a computer. You can use it with a phone or tablet after setup.

After the download completes, double-click the downloaded file to start installation.

After installing, when prompted, choose Set up a New Fitbit Device.

Follow the on-screen instructions to create a Fitbit account and connect your device.

Note that the personal information you provide during setup is used to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which helps determine your estimated calorie expenditure and your body mass index (BMI). For more information, see How does Fitbit estimate how many calories I've burned? This information is private unless you change your privacy settings and opt to share it with your Fitbit friends.

For Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa, you're prompted to connect your watch to your Wi-Fi network. Ionic and Versa use Wi-Fi to set up your watch, download playlists, download apps from the Fitbit App Gallery, and for faster firmware and Fitbit OS updates. For best results, connect your watch to your home or work Wi-Fi network. For more information, see How do I connect my Fitbit watch to Wi-Fi?

How do I set up a replacement device or add a second device to my account?

Follow these instructions if you already have a Fitbit account and want to replace your existing Fitbit device with a new one, or if you use more than one device connected to the same account. If you’re replacing one device with another of the same model, you’ll be asked to confirm the replacement. For instructions on how to remove a Fitbit device from your account, see How do I remove a Fitbit device from my account?

Choose a link below depending on whether you prefer to use the Fitbit app or Fitbit Connect to set up your device.

Fitbit App

Fitbit Connect

Click the Fitbit Connect icon () located near the date and time on your computer.

Click Open Main Menu...

Click Set Up A New Fitbit Device.

Click Existing User and log in to your account.

Choose your device and follow the on-screen instructions.

If you're unsure whether you own an Aria or Fitbit Aria 2, turn the scale over and remove the battery cover to see how many batteries it contains. Aria uses 4 batteries, while Aria 2 uses 3 batteries. Aria 2 also has "Aria 2" written on the back of the scale.

What router settings do I need to set up and sync Aria?

Aria connects to your wireless home network and works with any Wi-Fi router that uses the following standards:

Your SSID and password should contain only alphanumeric characters (e.g. A-Z, 0-9). If you experience issues connecting to a network that uses special characters, change the name of the network to only use alphanumeric characters, and try to connect again.

Can I use a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to set up Aria?

A mobile Wi-Fi hotspot should only be used if a wireless router is unavailable. Consider the following information when attempting to set up your scale using a hotspot:

Connecting Aria to a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot requires that the mobile device be persistently in this mode. The device’s battery may drain quickly.

To complete the setup process with a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, you will need a second wireless device to connect to the hotspot. For example, if you are using an iPhone as a hotspot, you will need either another mobile device or a computer to proceed through either of the set up methods explained in How do I set up Aria?

Tap or click Get started, then tap or click it again when you see the pop-up message.

Sign in to your fitbit.com account.

Personalize your Aria by giving it a name and entering the initials you'd like to see on the scale when it recognizes you.

Put the scale into setup mode by removing a battery for 10 seconds and then reinserting it. Tap or click Continue when the scale's display says "SETUP ACTIVE."

Switch your computer, phone, or tablet to the scale's Wi-Fi network (this will appear as the word "Aria" followed by six characters).

If you see a network called Bunny Foo Foo, the scale's network has an error. Try setting up your scale using the software client method. If that doesn't work, contact Customer Support.

Return to your web browser and tap or click I'm Connected. You'll see a list of available wireless networks.

Tap or click the name of your home wireless network. If you don't see your home wireless network, tap or click Refresh Networks to scan again. If you still don't see your network, tap or click Join Other Network to enter your network name and password manually.

Enter your network password. Remember that it's case-sensitive.

Tap or click Submit, and then immediately check your scale's screen as it attempts to connect to your network.

If you see a check mark or a smiley face, Aria is connected and you can stand on the scale to complete a weigh-in.

To set up your Fitbit Aria 2, create a Fitbit account and connect your scale through the Fitbit app on your phone, tablet, or Bluetooth-enabled Windows 10 computer. At this time, Fitbit Connect isn’t compatible with Aria 2, so you can't set up Aria 2 using a Mac.

Note: If you're unsure whether you own an Aria or Aria 2, turn the scale over and remove the battery cover to see how many batteries it contains. Aria uses 4 batteries, while Aria 2 uses 3 batteries. Aria 2 also has "Aria 2" written on the back of the scale.

Both the network name and password must be no more than 32 characters long

Can I use a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to set up Aria 2?

We do not recommend using a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to set up Aria 2, as syncing will be slow and your scale may be unable to update. Connecting Aria 2 to a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot requires the device to remain persistently in this mode, which may drain the battery quickly and use excessive data.

Follow the on-screen instructions to create a Fitbit account and connect your scale to the internet. You must know your wireless network password, and the scale must be within range of the network. If you see an error message, see What does the error message on my scale mean?

Note that the personal information you provide during setup is used to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which helps determine your estimated calorie expenditure and your body mass index (BMI). For more information, see How does Fitbit estimate how many calories I've burned? This information is private unless you change your privacy settings and opt to share it with your Fitbit friends.

To see setup in action, watch our video (English only):

If you have trouble setting up Aria 2, briefly press the button in the battery compartment to restart your scale and return to the start of the setup process. If you still can't set up your Aria 2 after completing all the steps above, contact Customer Support.

How do I add a scale to my existing account?

If you already have a Fitbit account, use the Fitbit app on your phone, tablet, or Bluetooth-enabled Windows 10 computer to set up your new scale.

From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap or click the Account icon ().

Tap or click Set Up a Device.

Choose your device.

Follow the on-screen instructions to create a Fitbit account and connect your scale to the internet. You must know your wireless network password, and the scale must be within range of the network.

If you have trouble setting up Aria 2, briefly press the button in the battery compartment to restart your scale and begin the setup process again.

What is a personalized icon on Aria 2?

When you set up your scale, you're asked to choose a personalized icon. This icon appears on the scale whenever you complete a weigh-in. After you weigh yourself, you see your icon on the screen to confirm the weigh-in is assigned to the correct person. Refer to the table for a complete list of the available icons.